A Slipping Down Life updated

 

A Slipping-Down Life 1999 update November 2025

·       Director: Toni Kalem

·       Based on the novel by Anne Tyler

·       Cast: Lili Taylor, Guy Pearce, Irma P. Hall, John Hawkes, Veronica Cartwright, Marshall Bell, Shawnee Smith,  Sara Rue

·       Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:

o   Lili Taylor  – Public Enemies, Six Feet Under, High Fidelity, Ransom, I Shot Andy Warhol, The Addiction, Arizona Dream, Born on the Fourth of July

o   Guy Pearce – The King’s Speech, The Road, Factory Girl,

o   Irma P. Hall – Beloved, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

o   John Hawkes – Winter’s Bone, The Miracle at St. Anna’s, The Perfect Storm

o   Veronica Cartwright  – Six Feet Under, Alien

·       Why? Lili Taylor

·       Seen:  Once before. Now May 18, 2014 with Hal and YW in our read-novel-watch-film group. And now a third time 22 November 2025 

Now I’m confused.  I liked this film the first time, mainly because of Lili Taylor, and when I later discovered it was based on a novel by Anne Tyler I was happy.  I like her novels very much. But somehow I don’t like this one so much.  Her characters are always oddball misfits but warm and likeable.  In this novel Evie and Drum are definitely oddball misfits but not warm or likeable, they’re just kind of duds.

In the film, however, they are warm and likeable.  But not really believable. Granted, the whole premise is hardly believable – Evie carves rock singer Drum’s name in her forehead and they end up getting married, not your standard romantic comedy – but at times she’s too sweet and he’s too loving and the feel-good happy ending, while it makes me feel happy and good, is somewhat of a disappointment. So maybe the book was better after all.  Or maybe not.

I guess you’ll have to read the book and see the film yourself if you want to know. 

3 * of 5

November 2025 - 2* of 5 

PS The music is good

November 2025, not that good.

 

http://rubyjandsmovieblog.blogspot.se/2014/05/a-slipping-down-life.html

Scott Pilgrim vs the World

 

Scott Pilgrim vs the World 2010

• Director: Edgar Wright
• Cast: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Anna Kendrick, Alison Pill, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Ellen Wong·       
• Why? I seem to remember that I liked it
• Once before. Now 17 November 2025 

       The same director as Shaun of the Dead, Last Night in Soho, and Hot Fuzz. One can expect great things of this film.

       Scott (Cara) is 22, in a heavy metal band and has a high school girlfriend Knives (Wong). Until he falls for the mysterious Ramona (Winstead) with pink hair and a bunch of ex-boyfriends that Scott has to fight to win her love.

       It’s based on a comic book and looks like it. Nothing wrong with that as such but I must have been in a different mood when I first saw this since I liked it then, but this time I’m bored. It certainly can’t compete with the above-mentioned. 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Batman

 

The Batman 2022

• Director: Matt Reeves
• Cast: Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell (why cast him then disguise him into unrecognizability?), Paul Dano, John Turturro·       
• Why? It’s Batman
• 15-16 November 2025 

       It must be said. No one can be a better Batman than Christian Bale. With that said, Pattinson does a decent job as the brooding burdened Bruce Wayne/Batman. There are some good visuals, some dramatic moments, some emotional moments. But it’s too long and at times boringly slow. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dogma

 

Dogma 1999

• Director: Kevin Smith
• Cast: Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Linda Fiorentino, George Carlin, Chris Rock·       
• Why? I remember liking it
• Once before. Now 13 November 2025 

       Two exiled angels, Loke and Bartleby (Damon and Affleck) find a loophole that will get them back into heaven. Meanwhile, a branch of the Catholic church, headed by George Carlin (nice touch, that) wants Jesus to be a pal, not hanging on a cross. Meanwhile, an employee at an abortion clinic, Bethany (Fiorentino), struggles with her loss of faith. Meanwhile the voice of God, Metatron (Rickman) summons Bethany to a mission to stop Loke and Bartleby because if they enter heaven the world will end.

       It’s clever and pokes delightfully vicious fun at organised religion.

       The Catholic church tried to stop the release of the film. Others regard it as deeply religious. As an atheist, I just think it’s funny and we should take the jokes about religion seriously. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Pale Blue Eye

 

The Pale Blue Eye 2022

• Director: Scott Cooper
• Cast: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Timothy Spall, Toby Jones, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Gillian Anderson·       
• Why? Christian Bale
• 12 November 2025 

       Augustus Lander (Bale) is a detective called in by the Military Academy to investigate the death and mutation of a cadet. He takes on a young cadet to glean information, Edgar Allen Poe (Melling). Yes, the poet.

       The cast is admirable, the visuals beautiful but the story is slow, sometimes even plodding. And unlikely. 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Beauty

 

American Beauty 1999

• Director: Sam Mendes
• Cast: Kevin Stacey, Annette Bening·       
• Why? Recommended by somebody
• Once before. Now 11 November 2025 

       I don’t really remember the film, only vaguely that it’s creepy. But someone, probably AF, said it’s really good and almost everyone agrees. Lots of 10* and the critics love it. It even got a bunch of Oscars.

       I’m waiting. So far it’s awful. White suburban American family who all hate each other and the dad (Stacey) lusts after his daughter’s friend. Yuck.

       I really dislike this film. 

1* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hampstead

 

Hampstead 2017

• Director: Joel Hopkins
• Cast: Diane Keaton, Brendan Gleeson, Lesley Manville, James Norton, Adeel Akhtar·       
• Why? Recommended by fellow film nerd LH
• Once before. 10 November 2025 

       Emily (Keaton) is a widow living in a luxury flat she can’t afford because her cheating husband left her with debts and no money. She meets a squatter Donald (Gleeson) in Hampstead Heath who is being evicted by a development corporation. They take it to court.

       I like Keaton but the only film of hers that I like is Reds. This is of an entirely different calibre but it’s enjoyable. Also, it’s based on a true story 

3* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cargo

 

Cargo 2017

• Director: Ben Howling and Yolanda Ramke
• Cast: Martin Freeman, Simone Landers, Susie Porter, Kris McQuade, Anthony Hayes, Caren Pistorious·       
• Why? Martin Freeman
• Seen: 7 November 2025      

       We don’t realise this is an Australian zombie film in until about half an hour in. Then we learn that it takes exactly 48 hours for one bitten to turn into a zombie. They even have wrist bands counting down the hours.

       Andy (Freeman) is bitten. He has 48 hours to get his baby Rosie to safety. His only hope is to get her to an aboriginal group who have so far succeeded in fending off the zombies.

       It’s more than a zombie film. It’s about racism, human values and love.

       Freeman is, as always, terrific. They all are. 

4 ½ * of 5   

 

 

 

 

 

The Fever

 

The Fever 2004

• Director: Carlo Gabriel Nero
• Cast: Vanessa Redgrave·       
• Why? Vanessa Redgrave
• Seen: 6 November 2025      

       Some viewers hate this film (1*) because it criticises capitalism, quotes Marx and blames the rich western world for the poverty in the third world.

       That’s what’s good about it.

       Redgrave plays an unnamed woman, wealthy and cultured, who eventually sees the reality of poverty and suffering in the world when visiting an unnamed country at war.

       It’s an unusual film because much of it is narrated directly by the woman into the camera.

       It works for me. 

4 * of 5   

 

 

 

 

 

Champion

 

Champion 2022

• Director: Mona Achache
• Cast: Kendij Girac·       
• Why? Possibly interesting
• Seen: 5 November 2025 

       Zack (Girac) has a loving girlfriend, a loving family, a good job as a carpenter with his dad, he’s an appreciated boxing trainer for both boys and girls.

       What most people don’t know, not even his mother, is that he can’t read or write.

       It’s a strong film about a real problem for millions in our literate world. 

4 * of 5   

 

 

 

December Boys

 

December Boys 2007

• Director: Rod Hardy
• Cast: Daniel Radcliffe       
• Why? Originally Daniel Radcliffe
• Once before. Now 3 November 2025 

       Again young Daniel Radcliffe is an orphan, this time in a Catholic orphanage in Australia. The four December boys, all with birthdays in December, are sent on holiday to a couple who live by the sea.

       It’s quite boring, really. It’s Radcliffe’s first film after Harry Potter and he does a decent job with what he’s given. 

2 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Så som i himlen/As It Is in Heaven

 

Så som i himlen 2004

• Director: Kay Pollak
• Cast: Michael Nyqvist, Frida Hallgren, Helen Sjöholm, Lennart Jähkel, Ingela Olsson, Niklas Falk·       
• Why? Recommended by LJ. Also Michael Nyqvist
• Seen: 2 November 2025      

Daniel (Nyqvist, a world renowned director, suffers a heart attack and must quit touring. He moves to his childhood village in northern Sweden and takes over the local amateur choir. He must face conservative Christians, a hostile vicar and wife abusers, but he teaches the choir the essence and necessity of music. A lovely film about music and life, and I love Michael Nyqvist.      

4* of 5

 

 

Temple Grandin

 

Temple Grandin 2010

• Director: Mick Jackson
• Cast: Claire Danes, David Strathairn, Catherine O’Hara·       
• Why? Recommended by LH
• 30 October 2025 

       A biopic about the brilliant autistic woman who humanises the slaughter industry by inventing devices to calm the cattle, fighting against general cruelty to animals, especially cows, and cruel male chauvinism.

       A terrific film, and the best Claire Danes I’ve seen. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

27 Nights

 

27 Nights 2025

• Director: Daniel Hendler
• Cast: Marilú Marini, Daniel Hendler·      
• Why? Mentioned by LJ
• Seen: 28 October 2025 

       Martha (Marini), 83 years old, has spent 27 nights in a mental hospital. Her daughters want to have her re-admitted because she is dement, because she has delusions, and because she likes to party with young men.

       An expert Leandro (Hendler) is called in to evaluate her mental health.

       Martha is rich and a very unpleasant person. But a mental hospital? 

2 ½ * of 5